Bete Noire
by labyrinths
Summary: Jack Elizabeth Beckett: Jack and Elizabeth meet years later and have one final conversation. Fourth of the Cinq Fois series.


**Bete Noire**

By Labyrinths

_Authors note: POTC does not belong to me. Fourth part of my series of five stories with a title in French. Bete noire: French for black beast. One that is particularly disliked or hated; a pet peeve; pet abomination. If you can guess the why of the title you get a cookie.  
_

She was still beautiful but her beauty had changed. She was like a statue, all perfect marble sitting before him and in fleeting, tiny gestures he could see how he had chiselled her into her current shape.

Elegant fingers closed around the stem of her glass and she gave him a delicate smile.

"Well? What do you think of my husband's proposition?" she asked.

"I think it's insulting."

"Really Jack, don't be melodramatic. There comes a time when every man must admit his defeat, no?

"But not today Lizzie. There, there. Don't act so surprised. We both knew I was going to say no the moment I walked in here"

"Then why come if you won't even consider it?"

"To see you I suppose. For old time's sake."

"Feeling nostalgic in your old age?"

"Experienced, love. Experience is a good thing if you get my meaning."

He gave her a wide grin but truth be told he did feel older. Not old, but older as he watched her in burgundy and black, like a queen upon her throne. The spirited girl he'd known was all gone and the stranger looking at him with a curious, inquisitive gaze reminded Jack of how long it had been since they'd last spoken. A decade lost and buried.

"You may joke if it pleases you but the situation is serious. Cutler's had enough of your antics. He is being kind to you because you were once friends and because I also held some affection for you."

"What a generous man, Lord Beckett."

"Quite generous when the fancy strikes him."

"I suppose you'd know all about that. Them jewels must have been expensive."

"Do not think it embarrasses me. If it hadn't been for Beckett I might be a whore in some brothel in Tortuga by now."

"And you might have been a much more honest woman."

Elizabeth's face did not change, her expression still and placid but her eyes seemed to narrow and darken. A storm was brewing there.

"I don't think you are fit to judge me considering it was you who abandoned me in that hell-hole."

"I told you I'd come back. I couldn't stay. They would've trapped us both and then what would have we done? If we split up; if I went away we had a chance. But then you were supposed to wait for me."

"Yes, and Will wasn't supposed to die and you were supposed to keep me safe and take me back to England and my father was supposed to be there when I arrived, but none of it happened like that, did it?"

Her voice had grown progressively higher until he thought it might break but then she suddenly stopped and leaning back against her chair she laced her fingers and frowned.

"I do not want to speak about unpleasant things. That's in the past. We are here to discuss your future."  
"I have no future. Your husband's made sure of that."

"Oh, don't blame him for your own problems. If you kept your ship away from British vessels he wouldn't give a damn whether you lived or died. It's been your idiotic greed that's gotten you were you are."

"I guess we have something more in common then."

"I'm tired of this conversation," she said, rising sharply and turning to leave.

Jack caught her wrist and before she could protest, pulled her towards him and it was not a gentle tugging. He was hurting her and he didn't care.

Elizabeth glared at him, her lips pressed together as she stumbled towards him.

"I don't think I'd like you to leave just yet Lady Beckett."

"Do not touch me."

"Why? Is Lord Beckett a jealous man?"

"I do not want you to touch me."

"There was a time when you wouldn't have minded."

"Maybe. But now you must let go or I will be forced to call for Mercer and he will shoot you at once, do not doubt it."

He let go of her, tilting his head to the left slightly and snickered.

"There now. Nothing's broken, right love?"

She rubbed her wrists carefully.

"No. I think it's fine."

She stepped away from him, her hands distractedly tracing the edge of the table and stood in front of a tall, narrow window. The sun, which had been hiding behind thick clouds that afternoon, suddenly decided to make an appearance and for a few seconds a blinding glare from the window enveloped Elizabeth, making her hair shine golden and when she turned to look at him he thought of dancing and sand and a tiny island in the middle of the ocean.

Then the clouds moved again and she looked away.

"He offers you a fair bargain. You could have some money, a house, in time even a family. It is not a bad part for a former pirate."

"It is a prison. A beautiful prison but nevertheless a prison. He can not own everything."

"Can't he? He nearly does now, doesn't he?"

"You enjoy this? His ambition?"

"There is something deliciously sweet about being ruthless. Like an overripe fruit," she started walking back towards him, the rustle of her skirts strange to his ears and oddly familiar. "Besides, it's not all about selfishness Jack. He can be kind."

"Kind?"

He started chuckling but she stopped him with a stern look.

"Yes, kind. And considerate."

"I suppose you will now tell me you love him."

"Don't be ridiculous."

Elizabeth carelessly grabbed the glass she had left on the table, dangling it between her fingers.

"You know, you could come with me if you'd like. After all, I never did keep that promise to take you to safety. I could make up for that."

"Atoning for your sins at this age?"

"Better now than never."

"The age of piracy is dead. It's much too late now. Besides, he'd kill you."

"He'll kill me anyway so what the hell."

"No he wouldn't. He'd let you die on your own. Nothing worse than an old, spent legend."

She took a sip of her wine then slid the glass between his hands with casual abandon. He drank deeply, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"One last time Jack. Yes or no?"

"No. Irrevocably no."

He placed the glass back on the table and she nodded.

"I think you should go then."

"Aye."

Jack tugged at the leather cord around his neck, pulling it until it snapped. With a turn of his wrist he held up a glimmering, white object. It was the Kraken's tooth, dangling from his fingers.

"For remembrance," he said.

He took Elizabeth's hand and opened it, dropping the trinket onto her palm. She said nothing. She just looked at him and it was a strange thing, as though she were looking at him from a great distance.

He moved towards the door and she did not move or utter a single word.

Elizabeth flung the tooth into the fire and stared at the flames for a long time. Finally, she turned away. Night was falling and her husband would be home soon.

She heard the familiar rhythm of footsteps approaching and the door opened.

A boy, his dark hair tussled, stepped into the room.

"Mother, is your guest gone? Can I come in?"

"Yes, you can come in," she said rising from her place next to the fireplace.

"He looked very strange."

"He is strange."

"Who is he?"

"No one of importance," Elizabeth said running her fingers through the boy's hair. "No one at all."


End file.
